DISEASE-FIGHTING BEER ON TAP?

IN DATA presented at the 251st National Meeting & Exposition for the American Chemical Society, scientists at the University of Idaho reported they are close to synthesizing healthful hops compounds in a lab. Previous research has linked hops to halting bacterial growth and disease. “When researchers extract healthful chemicals from hops, they first have to determine whether they have separated out the specific compounds they’re interested in,” project leader Kristopher Waynant, Ph.D., said. “But if you can figure out how to make these compounds from scratch, you know they are the right ones.” Waynant and his team are studying two specific compounds found in hops and want to harness the healthful activities of them to potentially improve consumer’s health. To do so, they must work to confirm humulones and lupulones are the proper target by separating the acids with high-performance liquid chromatography. However, to assess the results, they must be compared to analytical standards that do not exist. That’s why Waynant and researcher Lucas Sass are attempting to synthesize the two compounds in a lab. “Unfortunately, the first few pathways I proposed were not the best or most efficient,” Waynant said. “But Lucas has gone through the literature and analyzed different ways to perform each of these steps to get the best results.” Perhaps one day doctors will write prescriptions for beer for legit medicinal purposes!